14:07,
YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 14, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian has departed to Germany to participate in the Munich Security Conference.
He will be the keynote speaker during a discussion on Quantum Politics.
Sarkissian will present his Quantum Theory and speak about the global developments, global risks, new quantum technologies and systems and the quantum behavior of politics.
Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan
ArmInfo.On February 15, as part of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), a round table will be held on the Karabakh conflict. According to information posted on the MSC official website, the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will participate in the event.
The round table “New developments in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict” will be held from 5:30 to 6:15 pm local time. Celeste Wallander, President and CEO of the U.S.-Russia Foundation, will moderate the discussion.
The Munich Security Conference kicked off on February 14. In particular, the conference is attended by Armenian President Armen Sarkissian, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, French President Emmanuel Macron, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Speaker of the House US Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger.
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YEREVAN, Armenia — Several dozen activists blocked a highway in Armenia for several hours Wednesday while demanding that authorities release two men accused of killing three police officers during an armed takeover of a police station in 2016.
The Sasna Tsrer party said its activists obstructed the Yerevan-Gyumri highway to draw public attention to their cause and moved out of the way when police arrived at the protest site.
More than 20 party activists armed with guns seized a police station in the Armenian capital in July 2016 to demand their leader’s release from custody. They took several hostages and barricaded themselves inside the station for two weeks before surrendering. Three police officers were killed in the standoff.
The armed activists were arrested, and most were released on parole in 2018 pending trial. The two men who remained in custody are accused of being the ones who killed the three officers.
The protesters calling for the two to be freed Wednesday argued that the men were “only fulfilling their natural right to rebel.”
Police spokesman Ashot Agaronian confirmed that the protesters unblocked the highway.
St. Sarkis Church in Pasadena celebrated its name day with Episcopal Divine Liturgy and the blessing of madagh conducted by Western Prelate Archbishop Moushegh Mardirossian. Rev. Boghos Baltayan assisted at the altar. Among the faithful in attendance were Church benefactors Sarkis and Suzan Kitsinian and family members. The celebratory service was held on Sunday, February 9,
The Prelate began his sermon by greeting and congratulating the parish family, benefactors, and faithful on the name day celebration and invited all to seek the intercession of St. Sarkis, brave witness to and martyr for the Holy Trinity, abode of grace, fulfiller of appeals, comfort to those facing difficulties or tribulations, who with the helmet of hope on his head and sword in his right hand as a shield of faith fought against worldly evil for love of God, and by his martyrdom became worthy of the crown of righteousness.
Prelate Mardirossian gave a historical overview of the life, persecution, and martyrdom of St. Sarkis, stressing that he was a faithful soldier of the king but above all a faithful soldier of the Heavenly King who defended his faith at the cost of his life. Connecting the day’s Gospel reading from John 6:22-38 on “the bread from heaven,” he noted that worldly praise and greatness were of no interest to St. Sarkis for he was not after the food which perishes, but the food which endures to everlasting life which God gave us through His only-begotten Son, the “bread of life,” so that whoever believes in Him shall never hunger nor thirst.
“In the example of St. Sarkis, let us lead our lives armed with hope and burning with faith, and beseech the Lord to increase our faith, hope, and love for keeping His commandments. In our pains and afflictions let us trust in God and in the intercession of His saints. Let faith be our shield of defense, and hope, the helmet of salvation. Let our prayers be offered with a pure heart and let us appeal wholeheartedly to the Lord to be the light on our journey of faith, hope, and love, to be the bread of life, true life, and our refuge,” concluded the Prelate.
At the end of Divine Liturgy, requiem service and the blessing of madagh was conducted concurrently. Prayers were offered for the souls of the first parish pastor, the parents of the benefactors, Delegates, Board of Trustees and Ladies Guild members, and all departed church servants.
At the conclusion of the service, as the choir sang the hymn “Oorakh Ler,” the Prelate headed to the narthex in a procession where the celebration closed with the singing of Cilicia, the Pontifical anthem, and the Armenian national anthem.
The annual name day celebratory luncheon followed at “Hovhannes and Hripsime Jivalagian Youth Center.” The program began with the invocation. Board of Trustees Chair Hagop Yedalian welcomed the Prelate and guests, congratulated all those bearing the names Sarkis or Mardiros, thanked the main madagh sponsor, Magy Ilanjian, all madagh and lunch contributors, and the Ladies Guild for their hard work over the past few days.
During lunch, guests enjoyed a number of traditional songs presented by the Church choir, led by choirmaster Deacon Yervant Keshishian, and recitations by the Kitsinian grandchildren Lori and Sako.
The Parish Pastor expressed gratitude to the Prelate for presiding over the festivities and thanked the Board of Trustees, Ladies Guild, choir, and sponsors for their service and support.
The Prelate delivered the closing message, which he centered on the importance of devotion, sacrifice, and service for the glory of God rather than for praise by our fellow man. He reiterated that in spite of his military prowess and accolades, St. Sarkis remained a humble servant of our Lord and never wavered from his faith and convictions, adding that this name day celebration must be an opportunity for affirmation of faith and renewal of our pledge of service in the example of St. Sarkis. He commended the service of the Parish Pastor, Board of Trustees, Ladies Guild, altar servers, and choir, stressing again the need to serve not for personal show but for the glory of God and, citing the proverb “you reap what you sow,” urged them to always reap love, goodness, and service. The Prelate concluded by conveying his blessings to all.
Running May 5th to 9th, the Armenian event’s lineup is partly shaped by guests curators, including Rabih Beaini, Club Chai, Gost Zvuk, Brandon Rosenbluth, Klammklang, Synthposium and TKANI.
The bill features a host of experimental artists such as Pierre Bastien, Ellen Arkbro, Ghédalia Tazartès and Rhys Chatham, while electronic acts are represented by the likes of Madteo, MSYLMA, The Bug, Shackleton‘s Tunes Of Negation project, Buttechno, 8ULENTINA and Slikback. More acts are still TBA.
See the lineup so far on the RA event page.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Jan. 30
Trend:
Editor-in-Chief of The Washington Free Beacon online newspaper Eliana Johnson has published an article about the activity of the Quincy Institute in the US, Trend reports Jan. 30.
Comments about Managing Director of the Quincy Institute Sarah Leah Whitson, are one of the notable points in the article.
“Sarah Leah Whitson has helped fundraise for the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA), the largest Armenian lobbying organization in the United States,” reads the article. “ANCA advocates for the Armenian annexation of Nagorno-Karabakh, an area within the borders of Azerbaijan that the UN and the International Criminal Court consider Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani territory. “
Presenting this position by the influential US newspaper regarding Armenia’s occupation policy and publication of the article during the negotiations between the Azerbaijani and Armenian foreign ministers in Geneva on resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, are aimed to remind Armenia about the US position. On the other hand, it is a kind of message of the international community to Yerevan in response to Armenia’s disclosure of a document submitted by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, including the US, as a peace plan for the two countries involved in the conflict.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
18:02,
YEREVAN, JANUARY 22, ARMENPRESS. The Government of Armenia plans to postpone its decision on mandatory slaughterhouse butchering until July 1, but the decision will remain in force for Yerevan’s supermarkets and public catering places, ARMENPRESS reports Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said during Cabinet-parliament Q&A session.
PM Pashinyan explained that the decision is for making better regulations, particularly for solving the issue of availability of the slaughterhouses, but at the same time he emphasized that after July 1 the decision will fully enter into force. “Armenia must be guided by the highest modern standards”, he said.
Following the January 15 decision of the Government on mandatory slaughterhouse butchering, farmers started protesting, complaining that there are no sufficient conditions for that.
Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Nouneh Sarkissian attends opening of new care centers of SOS Children’s Villages Foundation
18:40,
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 30, ARMENPRESS. Spouse of the Armenian President Nouneh Sarkissian attended the opening of new alternative care services in Kotayk branch of the “SOS Children’s Villages” Armenian Charity Foundation, the Presidential Office told Armenpress.
The Foundation is a child-centered organization whose mission is to provide family-like care for children in difficult life circumstances. The Foundation’s representatives said more convenient conditions will be provided to their beneficiaries in these new renovated care centers.
Nouneh Sarkissian thanked all philanthropists, international organizations and individuals who had an investment and participation in the Foundation’s activities.
“This is the largest family in the world I have ever seen. You all are one family in this harmonious environment. This deserves appreciation. I am here just a few minutes and already feel the good and healthy atmosphere around me”, she said.
The President’s wide attached importance to the fact that Foundation manages to carry out its mission at a high level. “I am very happy to be present at this beautiful event. We highly value your job”, Nouneh Sarkissian said, wishing success.
Thereafter, Nouneh Sarkisian toured the new centers and the children’s village, talked to the kids and gifted one of her books to the children village’s library.
Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan